Quadruplets Matthew, Samantha, Linzey and Jesse Sun, clockwise from top, tried out for the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra. They are 14 and will start as freshmen at Canyon High in the fall. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

It's Friday morning at El Rancho Charter School. The bell rings as students make their way into Sandy Streeter's second-period music class.

First chair viola player, eighth-grader Jesse Sun, takes his seat in the front row. His sister Samantha, also a viola player, settles into her chair directly to his right. The third player out of the only four violas in the class is the Suns' other sister, Linzey. The fourth sibling Matthew breaks the mold and sits in the second row of the six cello players in the orchestra.

Samantha, Linzey, Jesse and Matthew are not in different grades. They are not different ages. They are quadruplets.

"It is a blessing to have all four of them play music," their mother Christine says. "I grew up playing and so did my husband. I wanted to have my kids experience that same opportunity."

For weeks, the Sun siblings prepared for their Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra (OCYSO) audition. Since 1970, OCYSO has given musicians pre-professional training through conducting rigorous rehearsals and performing various concerts.

After Christine Sun downloaded OCYSO's audition excerpt, she canceled the audition due to its level of musical difficulty. OCYSO's Director of Orchestral Operations Jacob Vogel noticed the cancelation and contacted her.

When Christine explained her concerns over whether her children should audition, Vogel got in touch with OCYSO Music Director and Conductor Daniel Wachs, who then offered to listen to each of her children play individually.

"(Christine) really just wanted to know if they should put in the time and the work for this audition and I said, 'Yes.' They're very sweet kids and they're very serious kids. One of the things you're looking for when someone is auditioning for OCYSO is if they have the maturity to be a part of the orchestra," Wachs says.

Wachs invited the Sun family to OCYSO's rehearsal facilities on the Chapman University campus. There, he listened to all of them play.

Although Wachs is OCYSO's director, he does not sit on the official audition panel. An independent jury is chosen to evaluate auditions. "These judges are experts in their field from all around SoCal," Wachs says. "I don't have a say on who gets in, but I definitely think these kids deserve to take this chance."

Despite never having taken private lessons, the quadruplets have already received a number of music awards from El Rancho Charter School.

All four were given awards for playing in their school's Honors Strings, an orchestra in which students were required to audition for a spot. Toward the end of the school year, three of them were recognized for winning a school competition called "Minute Man." Participants in this contest needed to play the 12 major scales in under a minute.

Even though the Sun siblings have grown up with music in their lives – each of them began with trying to learn the piano at age 4 – Samantha, Linzey, Jesse and Matthew each have individual techniques.

Jesse, who has kept his spot as first chair viola at El Rancho the whole school year, likes to play faster pieces on his viola. His fingers move with quick precision on the fingerboard, nearly never missing a note He played "Medieval Wars" for Wachs during the family's Chapman visit.

"It sounds a lot like the music from 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' It's really exciting," Jesse says. "But still feels weird to have people watch me play alone."

Samantha never fails to keep up with his pace. Her bow is always kept at a steady angle whether the piece be a quick staccato or a stretched out legato. She has a kind smile.

Linzey focuses intently on her music, almost never taking her eyes off the page. Her arms flow with an effortless grace as she plays her viola.

Matthew, who took his own route by playing the cello, plays with certainty and confidence. The cello fits perfectly into his broader frame. As he glides his bow over the strings, the strength of his arm matches the deep strong sound of the cello.

When asked what his favorite part about playing the cello is, Matthew replied, "Everything."

Having so many musicians under one roof can have its advantages.

"We can hear each other play in the house. Sometimes somebody's notes are off tune, so we help them fix it," Linzey says.

Of course, the four children aren't always in harmony.

"There's lots of fighting, but it's nice we always get to hang out with each other. There's always someone to be with," Samantha says.

This year, approximately 350 students from eighth graders to college freshmen have signed up for OCYSO's annual June auditions. The program accepts around 90 of the applicants.

Even though the odds are daunting, OCYSO encourages all musicians to try out. Newsletters on auditions are sent out to numerous music teachers and schools around Southern California. Some students in the orchestra have traveled from as far away as Hemet to be at rehearsals on the Chapman campus.

The Suns auditioned for the OCYSO on June 8.

No matter what the results may be, the siblings will continue to pursue their musical career. They are already enrolled in Canyon High School's strings class and will start playing this August.

Check back next week to find out who was accepted into the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra.

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